


Android

by orphan_account



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: Also Caddy is a disaster in the background, Also I wrote Jeff as they/them genderqueer because i felt like it, And has 15 separate existential crisis, Angst, Discussions of sex, Fluff, M/M, Robots, So It isn't edited, This is literally an au where Luke is a robot, This took six months to write, and Im so sick of looking at it, only a bit tho, thats it, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 14:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17603348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Au where Luke is a robot. Because I shouldn't be left alone for more than 20 minutes.





	Android

**Author's Note:**

> Big credit to Doodlefriend on Tumblr bc this is just as much her au as it is mine

Luke clambered out of his bed. He looked at the clock, and at the realization he was already late, threw his uniform on and grabbed his jacket as he ran from the room. 

He skipped breakfast. He seemed to make it to Poppy hall on time, as there were students clambered around their lockers. 

He dove to his locker, fumbling books out. Luke piled them into a somewhat neat pile and stood up. 

His head was sharply hit by the door of the locker above him. 

The energy left him as he collapsed, the world fading into blackness. 

 

Jeff heard a sudden clang. They looked over in time to see Luke collapse. They charged over, making their way around students. 

Luke was out cold. Was hitting his head on the locker really enough to knock him out?

They called for a student to get Creeps. Before they knew it, Luke was being taken to the nurse's office. 

Jeff followed Creeps into the Nurses office. Creeps had already set Luke one of the beds and pulled a curtain around him. They looked at Creeps. He was on the phone with what Jeff could hear appeared to be a woman's voice from the phone. 

Jeff brushed the curtain aside. Luke appeared almost peaceful, though still very unconscious. 

They turned away, approaching Creeps. They heard the phrase “I’ll keep an eye on him until you can get back.” Before the call was ended. 

Creeps seemed to notice them. “You should head to class.”

“Is Luke alright?” They asked. 

He sighed. “I am going to have to send him to the hospital. He’ll be fine though. Don’t worry.”

Panic seized their chest as they left the room. 

 

Luke’s vision slowly faded into clarity. White ceiling tiles faded into his vision along with a ceiling fan. 

He was laying on some sort of table. He sat up and looked around. There was a large and expensive looking computer in front of him and he was surrounded by all manner of scientific equipment. The walls were covered with shelves of screws and gears and other robotics equipment. 

There was a woman sitting on a bench beside him. She had ginger hair tied up in a bun, a square jaw, and thick glasses. She appeared to be tall and wearing a lab coat and was looking at him with an anxious expression. 

She straightened up. “Luke? Do you feel alright?” 

“I feel alright, I guess.” He mumbled. He looked at her more closely. “...who are you? Am I at a hospital?”

She looked down, expression fading into sadness. “O-oh. I-I uh I’m not sure why I expected you to…” she trailed off. 

“O-oh! S-sorry! Please don’t be sad!” 

She smiled slightly. “I guess you’re still the same kid. My name is Lillian.”

He sits in silence for a moment. “Where am I? Why am I here?”

She was silent for a moment. “You got damaged. I had to repair you.”  
I  
“...What do you mean by that.” 

She fidgeted. “I wish I didn’t have to this.” She turned. “Kakasu, could you bring me the blueprints and the memory card?”

For the first time, he notices the familiar red-headed girl standing in the corner. She quickly turned and left the room. 

“What? Blueprints? What’s going on?”

Lilian looked at him, expression full of what seemed to be guilt. “I’ll explain in a moment, alright, Luke?”

Kakasu returned with a rolled up blueprint and what appeared to be a two-inch long computer chip. 

Lillian gripped the items. “Luke. I’m sorry. But just know this doesn’t change a thing about you.” She passed the blueprint to him. 

Luke felt tense as he unrolled the blueprint. 

No. No way. That wasn’t possible. There was no way. He couldn’t be.

The blueprint slipped from his hands. 

“This is a joke, right?” He stuttered out. “This isn’t real, right?”

The blueprint was of an android. And that android was himself. 

He was an android. 

“I’m so sorry. But it’s true.” Her voice was filled with sympathy. 

He let his head fall into his hands. Tears began to run down his face. He felt a hand run comfortingly down his back, but he barely noticed through the panic and denial clouding his mind. 

It was several minutes before the numbness of shock set in. “Why can’t I remember that.”

“Your memory card was replaced so we could see if you could pass as human in a normal environment.” She sighed. “I could switch the cards but you wouldn’t remember anything you experienced at Asagao.”

“What are you going to do about that, then?” His voice sounded tired. 

“I can transfer the files from one to another. But it would require your consciousness and you to be hooked up to my computer.”

“O-okay.” 

Lillian led him over to the fancy computer. She motioned to what appeared to be an operating table and he sat down, holding his arms out as she wrapped what appeared to be thick white strips of fabric around his wrists, wires extending from the fabric. 

“I’m going to have to turn you off, alright?” She said quietly. He nodded numbly.

She slipped off his snapback and felt through his hair before his world suddenly went black.

He was still in the lab. His heart plummeted as soon as he realized this, realizing one thing. The previous revelation hadn’t been a dream. He really was a robot. 

Luke pushed himself up. Lillian was back next to him. He suddenly recalled what had happened, and began to search his memory. “I-I can’t remember anything.”

Lillian looked up at him apologetically. “I’m really sorry. My computer bugged out, it’s going to take a few days to fix.”

He felt sick. He could barely comprehend that he was a robot, but having his memories back seemed like it could make it a little more bearable. “Then what am I supposed to do?” 

“I think it would be best if you stayed here for now.” 

“Oh. Thanks.” Going back to Asagao now would probably be too much.

She guided him to her living room and to the couch. They both sat down. 

“So. Tell me a little about yourself?” Lillian asked.

“Like what?”

“How’s school been going?”

“I-It’s-“ He took a second to steady his voice. “It’s fine. My grades are good. I’m in a club.” He laughed slightly. “It’s a little dumb. We just play games and stuff.”

“Is that what the jacket’s from?”

“Yeah…” 

“Anything else?” Lillian prompted. 

“I-“ Luke suddenly recalled something. “I was going to go out with someone on Friday.” He sighed. “I guess I’ll just cancel.”

“Wait, why?” 

“Well, will I get back by then?” Luke asked. 

“I’ll make sure you will!” She said, determination filling her voice. 

“...Thanks.”

There was an awkward silence. Lillian picked up the TV remote, turning the tv on. 

“Do you like Vavatar?”

“Yeah…”

He watched her scroll through until she landed upon Vavatar. Starting the show, she sat back again. 

It was a welcome distraction from the day’s events. It was several hours before he was hit with a crushing question. 

What would his friends think?

Even if they decided to accept him, it wouldn’t ever be the same. It would be more awkward. He wasn’t human. That was going to change things, no matter what. 

And Jared. There was no way he would ever even think of dating someone who wasn’t even real. He deserved better than Luke. Anyone would be better for Jared than Luke could be. No matter how much he loved Jared, if he truly loved him he should be able to do what was best for Jared. He should be able to stop being greedy. 

Could he even love? Sure, he thought he loved Jared, but could he really know what love felt like if he was a robot? Any love Luke would ever feel was programming. Hollow love. Fake love. The type of love everyone deserved better than. 

At least now he knew he shouldn’t ever burden someone with his love. 

He pulled out his phone. He should cancel. Right here and right now. Then Jared could move on and find someone worth spending his energy loving. 

176 messages. He couldn’t tell why he was surprised. It wasn’t the first time the Hidden Block group chat had provided him with an obscene amount of texts. 

Moosey  
I'm just trying to say that odds are that the Game Theorists Club is not a secret band of assassins.

Gun  
It just adds up Moosey

Yungtown  
Hey guys Im not dead :)

Meme God  
he lives!

Hammy  
Good to see you are ok. Do you mind us asking what happened? 

Yungtown  
srry kinda don’t wanna think about it right now :(

Hammy  
Ok. But if you want to talk We’re here

Moosey  
And if you want to talk to anyone one on one thats ok too. 

Yungtown   
Thanks

Jom  
Luke’s ok?

Yungtown  
Im pretty ok

Meme god  
Where r u anyway 

Yungtown   
Im at a hospital. Should be fine though 

...It wasn’t a complete lie. 

Luke exited the chat and began scrolling through the messages. He needed to talk to Jared. 

Luke  
Hey

Jared  
I heard what happened. You ok?

Luke  
Yeah but Im gonna have to stay in the hospital for a few days. 

Jared  
I hope you’re alright. Are you gonna be back by Friday?

Luke  
Idk. Might have to cancel :(

Jared   
That sucks. 

Jared  
I was really looking forward to it. 

Crap. Now he felt really bad. 

Luke   
If im back by then we can still go together 

Luke  
And if im not we could maybe go get food together sometime?

Jared  
Yeah! That sounds great!

Luke, what are you doing?! He internally shouted at himself. But he couldn’t stop himself from offering. It’s not like this is super romantic or anything. You’re just suggesting a thing you could do. As friends. He convinced himself. 

He returned to the Hidden Block chat. 

Meme god  
are u in Luke

Yungtown  
I was texting Jared. What did I miss?

Jom  
Ooooooooh

Jom  
Are you finally going to give him the D

He really hoped that Lillian couldn’t see how red his face was. 

Yungtown  
It’s not like that!

Jom  
Sure. Just tell me when it gets juicy. 

Moosey  
I don’t think we need to get into the details of his sex life right now. 

Moosey  
Anyway. Wallid knows a site where we can vc and watch a movie. And since you’re in the hospital we were gonna try it. 

Meme God  
We were gonna watch the Terminator. You in?

...That was too much. He didn’t think he could handle that. 

Yungtown  
Na. I think I’m going to bed early. I’m too tired. 

Was 8:00 too early to go to sleep if he was supposedly in the hospital?

Actually, that didn’t have to be a complete lie. He did kind of want to sleep. It had been a long day. 

He turned to Lillian. “...Is there anywhere I could sleep…?” 

She suddenly sat up. “Oh! Of course! I can show you.”

He stood up after she did. She headed down one hallway towards a room at the end of the hall. Pulling out a key, the door was opened. Luke stepped in. 

Light blue covered the walls. Space blue sheets lay neatly over a double bed, the head frame a creamy white. The curtains were drawn back, the window revealing a forest of lush spruce. The stream flowed over the polished stones. A terrarium sat on a table, succulents of varying sizes growing within the moss and rocks. On the floor sat a beanbag chair, facing the television. A variety of game cases were stacked on top of each other in the TV stand. Stationery scattered across a desk. Posters with Merry Lotter, Nokemon and other pop culture hung on the walls.

A small smile crossed his face. This was his, wasn’t it? This was exactly the type of thing he would have liked.

He realized that Lillian had left the room in the time he’d been admiring it. He decided just to sleep. Slipping under the covers of his bed, he closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him. He could think more in the morning.

 

It never did. He ended up laying there, all night, fully awake. It took him several hours to ask himself the question. 

Could he sleep?

Sure, he’d slept at Asagao, but how could he be sure it was actually sleeping? Had he been relying on some sort of Placebo effect for all three years he’d been at Asagao?

He curled in on himself, discomfort setting over him like a thick blanket. The shock of the situation was beginning to numb. 

He was fake. He was an artificial being, made of plastic and metal, a pathetic excuse for life, just meant to pretend to be a human life, a replica. Pretend. Humanity was just a fantasy. Something he wasn’t, and would never be, no matter how much he desperately wanted it. It wasn’t his to have because he wasn’t real, and would never be real, no matter how much he wanted it. 

He stared at the wall, feeling hollow. 

 

Night was long. He hated being aware of everything second of it, hated how he was devoured by discomfort and hollowness for every moment. 

When the morning finally arrived, Luke had never felt more empty. He pushed himself up and out of bed, wondering why he bothered, but the thought of his mind tormenting him further was far too much. 

He picked up his phone, the Hidden Block group chat filled as usual. Though, he noticed a Ian had texted him. 

Moosey  
Hey. You good?

Moosey  
I know the guys are probably a lot. 

Luke  
Yeah

Luke  
Im good tho :)

Moosey  
You sure?

Luke  
Yeah

Moosey  
Ok I won’t pry. 

Moosey  
But if you wanna tell me just send me a text. 

Luke  
k

Luke   
thanks

Maybe he should tell someone. Someone who was open minded, who would accept him through a lot. Just to see how bad it would be. 

Luke  
Jeff 

Hammy   
What’s up?

Luke  
Can I tell you something? 

Hammy  
Of course

Luke  
Please keep an open mind?

Hammy  
Yeah?

Luke  
I 

Luke  
uh

Luke  
I can’t really 

Luke  
this is really hard to explain sorry

Hammy  
You wanna call me?

Luke  
kinda?

Hammy  
You can if you want ok?

Luke  
Maybe in a bit ok?

Hammy  
Ok whenever you’re ready. 

Luke groaned a bit to himself, hating that it was more that he’d just chickened out because of the sudden fear that he could have just lost one of his closest friends more than anything else. 

He wondered if he’d ever be able to tell anyone, just because he was so stupidly afraid of being rejected and abandoned. 

He left the room. 

Lillian was in her lab, working away at her computer. She looked up, and upon seeing him, stood up, approaching him. 

“Hey, you ok?”

He shrugged. “I guess.”

She didn’t appear to believe him. “...I think I’ll be able to fix the computer by tomorrow. You should be able to go back to Asagao by Friday.”

He nodded. Maybe it would be easier to handle this if he could remember. 

 

He didn’t do much for those few days. He didn’t know what to do. So he mostly just texting people on and off or thinking, mostly frustrating himself by not being able to force himself to cancel with Jared, chickening out the second he was about to send the text. 

Strangely, he found one thing that was consistent from Asagao. Kakasu, as elusive as she was at the school. She’d appear and disappear at random, seemingly just watching him. He’d asked Lillian about her; she was like him. Another robot she’d made. Even w

Lillian pulled him into her lab on Thursday morning, and explained that she’d be able to transfer the files now. 

So he was hooked up to her computer and shut him down.

 

He didn’t know what he was expecting, waking up. Nothing rushed back to him, but the lab was now more comfortable, familiar. He knew the areas around him, he knew what the things around him were and how they connected to him.

He stood up, turning around. Lillian was sitting behind him, looking almost anxious. He couldn’t stop a smile from crossing his face. 

“Hey, mom…”

 

The train ride back to Asagao had been spent thinking. 

To his frustration, remembering didn’t make him feel any realer, any more comfortable with himself. That empty feeling was still there.

He had also determined that he needed to separate himself from Jared. He deserved better than a fake person. And if Luke himself needed to make that happen, then so be it. No matter how much it would hurt. 

And as these thoughts plagued his mind, something new began to embed itself in his mind. A desperate desire for something just beyond his reach-humanity. 

Stepping off the train, he headed towards his dorm. It was after classes, and most students were at dinner. He couldn’t force himself to want food, and it wasn’t like he needed it anyway. 

He was hoping to manage to get to his dorm without encountering anyone. But to his misfortune, he ended up meeting Jeff just outside his dorm. 

“Hey, Luke!” Their eyes lit up. “I’m glad to see you’re okay!” 

“Yeah! Great to see you,” Luke forced a smile. 

“You okay?” Concern flashed across his face. “What happened to you?”

His smile faded. “Yeah, about that…” Maybe now was the time to tell someone. “Could we talk about this somewhere more private to talk about this?” 

Jeff nodded, and they followed him to his dorm. 

After they entered the room, Luke threw his bags to the ground, dropping down to dig through them. Grabbing the blueprints, he looked back up at Jeff. 

“Can you promise not to judge?” He asked.

“Of course!” They looked worried. “What happened, dude?”

He took a deep breath, handing the rolled up paper to Jeff. His gaze fell to the floor. He could hear Jeff unroll the blueprint, a small gasp hitting his ears. 

“Is this a joke?”

He shook his head. 

“Okay…” Luke braced himself for something. “This is fine. You’re still the same person.” 

“But I’m not human, Jeff.” He whispered. “How can this be fine?!

“Luke, you’re the most compassionate person I know. Even if you’re not human, you’re still more human than most people here.” They said seriously. “...am I the only person you’ve told this?” 

He nodded. 

“Why’d you tell me?”

“I guess I just trust you more than anybody to not judge me.” He sighed “And I guess I just need advice.”

They straightened slightly. “What’s up?” 

“I don’t know if I can love.” The words fell from his mouth before he knew what he was saying. 

A look of realization crossed Jeff’s face. “Jared…” 

“Yeah…” He sighed. “I don’t know if I really love him, since I’m… well, you know…” Jeff was nodding so he continued. “I’m going to the festival with him tomorrow and I’m going to feel terrible about it because I feel like I might be leading him on because I might not really love him.”

The words will spilling out of his mouth before he knew what was happening, but he felt slightly less awful, and Jeff seemed to understand.

“Well, how do you feel when you’re around him?”

A subconscious smile crossed his face. “Well, he makes me really happy. I feel really safe near him, and I want to keep him safe forever.” He was blushing really hard. “He’s so beautiful and wonderful and I just really want to be near him, and… well, it’s just really hard to put into words.” He mumbled, face red. 

Jeff was grinning. “Dude, I think you love him.”

“What?! But I’m a robot!”

“It really sounds like you love him.”

“Even if I do, it’s not the same as human love! He deserves that, not whatever I can provide.” 

Jeff sounded serious. “Listen dude, if he feels the same, and you tell him and he’s fine with it. Even if it’s not the same as human love, you two love each other and that’s what matters.” They suddenly smiled. “Who knows, you might be able to love more than a normal human!”

“But I might not!” He squeaked. “Maybe I should just cancel the date. Not take my chances…”

“What?! No!” They almost shouted. “It could end up messy with any couple, don’t let this ruin it for you two when you might love each other more than anyone else could.”

Luke was silent for a moment. “Maybe you’re right…”

“That’s the spirit!” They grinned. “If I don’t see you two together tomorrow, I’m going to kill a man, so you better go, alright?” 

Luke laughed. “Okay, okay, I’ll go.” 

Jeff left the room, and Luke pulled out his phone.

Luke  
Hey dude. Just got back 

Jared   
Awesome! You doing ok?

Luke  
Yup

Jared  
You feeling well enough to still go tomorrow?

Luke   
Yeah! Im looking forward to it

Jared  
Awesome! See you then. 

Luke   
Really glad I made it back in time

Jared  
Glad I get to go with you

His heart shouldn’t be pounding so hard. 

He sat there, grinning at his phone like an idiot. The door slowly opened again, and Caddy entered the room. 

“Oh, you’re alive!” Caddy said, grinning as he saw Luke. 

“Debatably.”

He laughed. “Great to have you back. But what the heck even happened to you, man?”

Luke’s face fell. “I’d rather not think about it.” 

Caddy looked worried, but to Luke’s relief, didn’t press further. “Alight then.”

Caddy suddenly smirked. “You and Jared are still going to the festival, right?” 

Luke nodded. 

“Good, I just told him I’d shoot him if he stood you up.” 

“You WHAT?!” 

Caddy was laughing. “I gotta defend my Hidden Block brethren!” 

“Yeah, but not like that!” 

“Calm down, he didn’t take it that seriously,” Caddy was still laughing. 

“Yeah, did you finally ask Ian?”

Disappointment crossed Caddy’s face. 

“Hana beat me to it. They’re going as friends.” He sighed. 

Luke’s voice was filled with sympathy. “That’s rough, dude.” He smiled. “You can still ask him after the festival.” 

“I guess…” He mumbled. “But I don’t even know if he’d go with me. Luke, he hates me.”

“I don’t think he actually hates you. I’m pretty sure he feels the same.” 

Caddy scoffed. “How can you be so sure?” He sighed. “I dunno…”

“Come on, at least try!” 

He sighed. “Alriiight.” He flopped into his bed. “I’ll do it, but not today. Tired. I’m going to bed.” 

“Okay then!” Luke picked up his bags. “I’m gonna unpack, and then I’ll probably do the same.”

 

He was woken up by a pillow to the face. 

“Get up, asshole!”

He squawked, flailing away and falling off his bed. 

Caddy was standing above him, already dressed, pillow in hand. “You’re supposed to meet him at two, and it’s almost noon, and gosh darn it you’re going to look nice!”

“Wha-“

“Shut up and go shower. You’re not going out with anyone smelling like piss!”

Caddy quickly forced him out of the room, sending him towards the boy’s bathroom. He showered quickly, anxiety towards the date arising, that was, to his surprise, completely unrelated to him being a robot. 

He didn’t know what he should wear, what would be too formal, even if Jared considered it a date. He was terrified he’d make a fool of himself in front of Jared, or do something that would ruin his chance with him. What if he came on too strong? Or-

He’d just arrived back in his room, to the sight of Caddy throwing things out of his closet, into what appeared to be three piles. 

“What are you doi-“ 

His head jerked up. “Luke! Great, you’re back. I don’t claim to be a fashionista, but why the heck do you have literally no semi-formal clothes?” He tossed another shirt into a pile. 

Luke just stood there, staring. 

Caddy picked up a pair of pants, a shirt, and a jacket, and threw it to Luke. “Try this on.” 

Not really knowing what else to do, he followed Caddy’s orders. The second Caddy saw him, he frowned and tossed him a different shirt.

“Try that.”

This cycle repeated for the next hour, Luke trying on whatever Caddy threw at him. 

By the time he had finished, it was almost 1:40. 

Caddy stepped back and eyed his work. “That’ll do.”

Luke glanced at the clock. “Shoot! I’m supposed to meet him in 20 minutes!” 

Caddy tossed Luke his phone. “When’ll you be back?” 

Luke hesitated. “11! If I’m not-

“I’ll assume you banged him.” 

“Oh my gosh, dude! I can’t believe you…” Luke shook his head, face beet red. “Text me or something, okay?”

Caddy laughed. “Okay, I’ll do it.” He waggled an eyebrow. “If you do get the chance to snatch up that ass, tell me. Not gonna miss you that opportunity.”

“My gosh, dude!” Luke groaned, running out of the room. 

 

Heading towards the entrance of the boys dorms, he checked his phone again. 1:55. He had plenty of time. 

He approached the door, feeling anxious. Jared was waiting by the door, holding something. His heart leapt in his chest. 

Jared grinned when he saw Luke. Approaching Luke, he could see the thing in his arms more clearly. 

“I-uh-brought you these.” Jared held a bouquet of flowers out to him. 

He took the bouquet. This was definitely a date. His heart soared. A date. A date with Jared. The single most beautiful person he’d ever met. 

“Thank you so much!” He grinned, hoping Jared didn’t notice the redness his face had just gained. “I-uh-Could I run these to my dorm?” He laughed slightly. 

“Oh! Uh, yeah.” Jared laughed slightly awkwardly. 

“I’ll hurry.”

Luke ran to his dorm, and after laying the flowers on his desk, flashed Caddy a thumbs up and ran back down. 

His heart was pounding in his chest as he and Jared exited the building. It was just the two of them. Alone. 

“So, what did I miss while I was gone? You know, at the hospital.”

“Pbg and Jeff and their team had a game.”

“Oh, did they win?” 

“They tied. We had secret DnD, nothing much happened, killed some shopkeeper, ransacked his shop. The normal things.”

Luke laughed. “Killing the shopkeeper was Caddy’s idea, wasn’t it?”

“You guessed it!” Jared said. “That’s kind of his thing, isn’t it.”

“The murder? Definitely.” The tension between them seemed to be easing, to Luke’s relief. 

“By the way, if you don’t mind me asking, why were you in the hospital?” Luke’s expression quickly changed, and Jared quickly backtracked. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want! Sorry, that was probably a bad thing to bring up…” 

“Oh, it’s fine. I better get used to getting asked that.” The empty feeling was back, stronger than it had been. “I guess, I’d really rather not think about it. Bad memories.” 

“Sorry, shouldn’t have asked about it.” Jared mumbled. 

Jared looked down, and the tension returned. He needed to do something, anything! Just do something!

Mustering all the courage he had, he wrapped his hand over Jared’s. 

Panic suddenly rose in him. What was he doing?! What had seized him to do something so stupid? 

To his surprise, Jared didn’t pull away. In fact, he seemed to lean into the little bit of contact between them. 

“Do you wanna get food?” Luke asked, desperate to break the silence. 

Jared laughed, seemingly nervous. “Yeah, I haven’t eaten at all today.”

“Oh, me either.” He admitted. “Is there anywhere you like? I haven’t been to the festival since first year.”

“Really?” He asked. “You didn’t go last year?” 

He shook his head. “Went with the guys first year, last year most of em had dates, and I didn’t really wanna.”

“Nobody asked you?” Jared seemed genuinely shocked. “I’m surprised you were still available when you asked me.” 

“Me?!” Luke stared at him. “And here I am with the most beautiful guy and this school.” 

Jared giggled. “Why thank you!” 

Realizing what he’d just said, Luke fumbled over his words. “Uh-I-well-that's not what I meant-you’re not-well you are, you’re absolutely gorgeous-but I-“

Jared giggled. “Don’t worry about it.” Smiling, he looked up at Luke. “There’s a stall that I usually go to. Pretty good, they’ve got pretty much everything.

“Sounds good.” 

They made their way towards the rows of stalls, talking about whatever came to mind, Jared’s hand in Luke’s. 

Approaching the booth, a familiar person came into view. Mai was waiting at the end of the line. Her eyes lit up when she saw Jared. 

“Oh! Hey Jared” A blush flushed her cheeks, and she glanced at Luke, looking slightly confused. “...and…Luke…” 

“Hello, Mai.” Jared greeted. 

“Hey,” Something about the way Mai was looking at him made his stomach twist. 

“What are you doing here?” She asked, eyes fixed on Jared. 

Jared laughed. “We’re getting food, like you are, I assume.” With the words, he leaned closer to Luke, resting his head on Luke’s shoulder. 

If Luke could blue screen, he definitely did in that moment. 

Mai realized what exactly was going on her, and a strange expression crossed her face. “Oh-I-uh-“ She fumbled her words before beginning to back away. “I think I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to eat somewhere else.” 

Mai wasn’t the only one who had realized the nature of their relationship. Whispers spread through the people around him, and Luke recognized several girls who he knew were after Jared. 

Worry seized him. Mai could easily take Jared from him if she wanted. He didn’t compare to her athleticism and constant energy. What did he have? Sure, he could rap, but what did that say? He was just some asshole in a hat. 

He couldn’t stop these emotions from being expressed on his face. Unfortunately, Jared noticed. 

“Is everything ok?”

Luke snapped back to reality. “Uh, Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry.” 

He looked down, feeling sick. Robot or no robot, he didn’t deserve Jared, someone so beautiful and kind and talented. Maybe he should go against what Jeff said, distance himself so Jared could be with someone who deserved him. 

Jared whispered something Luke couldn’t hear, a look of determination crossing his face. 

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” That was a lie. “Hey, we need to order.”

They ordered, and upon the receival of the food, set off through the thick crowd. Luke wished his will was strong enough to force himself to let go of Jared’s hand, but he found himself excusing it. 

The crowds are thick, we could get separated. 

The rest of the night was a blur, and Luke found his insecurities fading from his mind as the night went on. They mostly spent unholy amounts of money playing silly carnival style games, winning each other prizes. 

After several hours, they ended up heading to the bonfire. They ended up seated on a log, roasting marshmallows, cuddled a little too close to each other, comfortably chatting about whatever came to mind. 

A pause between their speaking extended to several minutes, and Luke notice Jared was staring at him. 

“Mmm?” He had a feeling Jared wanted to say something. 

“Uh, this might sound a little crazy,” Jared straightened a little. “But can I kiss you?”

Luke found himself unable to speak. Jared wanted to kiss him. Jared wanted to kiss him. Jared wanted to kiss him. Jared wanted to kiss him. He fished for words for a few seconds, palms sweaty. 

His mind eventually settled on one word. “Please…”

He closed his eyes as Jared’s lips connected with his, his hands wandering Luke’s body, and Luke rested his around Jared’s waist. 

Wow. He liked this, everything was warm and good and he couldn’t stop himself from making an embarrassing noise, and Jared seemed to take that as an invitation to go further. 

Jared’s face was now somehow even closer. He’d pulled Jared almost entirely into his lap, and he wasn’t sure who pulled away, but he was definitely hopeful that Jared couldn’t feel what that had done to him. 

He needed to calm down. Get yourself together, Luke!

Drums started. The dance was beginning. 

“You wanna dance?” Luke wondered why he was asking at this point. 

They stood, positioning themselves, before they slowly began to move. They found themselves staring into each other’s eyes. 

He sighed, the smell of smoke curling around him, but it didn’t bother him. This was amazing. 

“I guess this is a bit weird, and you need to tell me if I’m going too fast…” Jared head started talking again, and the music became fuzz behind them. The rest of the world had faded out, leaving Luke to focus on every word that Jared said. “But, I really like you. You’re one of the kindest people I know, and I feel like I can be myself around you. You’re incredibly talented. You’re so compassionate and I can hardly believe that you’re a human being and not some angel who’s come to make humanity right. I don’t think I’d deserve it, but I’d be absolutely honored if you’d have me as your boyfriend.”

Each word made his heart soar, all his anxieties forgotten. Jared wanted him. He wanted to date him. All words had been forgotten, leaving pure emotion behind. Jared wanted to be his. And to heck if Luke didn’t want to be Jared’s. 

“Jared, I’d be honored to be with you. You’re talented and charismatic, and I adore every part of you. I love the time we spend together, and I love seeing you open up and be yourself around me. Of course I’ll be yours.”

He could barely remember the rest of the night, but he was somehow back at his dorm, Jared leading him to his room.

Caddy was perched atop his bed, and grinned upon seeing the expression of pure happiness on Luke’s face. 

“I take it Sparkles McDouchebag did something right!”

Luke looked at him, an expression of bliss on his face. “Sparkles McDouchebag is my boyfriend now.” He flopped face first onto his bed. “Now I need sleep, I’ll tell you about it tomorrow morning.


End file.
